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Concerns voiced at betting shop plans

CONCERNS have been raised about proposals for a new betting shop at an Oxford shopping parade.

Coral has submitted three planning applications to Oxford City Council to convert 4 Courtland Road, Rose Hill, previously occupied by the Oxford Bed Company but now an empty shop, into a bookmakers.

The parade, which has a number of empty shops, already has a Ladbrokes.

Rose Hill resident Mike Knibbs said: “From a personal opinion I think it is horrendous that they want to have another betting shop.

“There are about 14 shops, of these five or six are takeaways, two funeral parlours and they want two betting shops.

“There are hundreds of different shops that we could do with rather than a betting shop.

“I think the problem is now that people are getting more and more into debt. It is becoming more and more of a problem.”

Ed Turner, pictured, Rose Hill councillor and deputy leader of Oxford City Council, said councillors have now decide to ‘call in’ the application, which means it will be decided by a planning committee at a date to be fixed, instead of by planning officers.

He said: “We have called this in because of the concerns from residents. Firstly about not needing a new betting shop in this location — there are already betting shops nearby.

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Haris Kasuji, from rrplanning, planning consultants to Ladbrokes, said: “This is a small neighbourhood centre of 19 units which is already adequately served by an existing betting office use.

“The proposal may only attract footfall from the existing betting shop rather than generate new footfall to the centre in the way that a new retail or other community facility may provide added vitality.

“As the site does not appear to have been marketed at all, there is no way of establishing whether there is any viable retail or other interest from local or even national operators who could bring additional footfall and new facilities to Rose Hill neighbourhood centre.”

But Bharat Dalal from Old Man’s Premier convenience store, which is next door to 4 Courtland Road, said: “We support a new business at 4 Courtland Road — it is essential for the neighbourhood that all empty shops are occupied.

“Instead of appearing as a rundown area this new business will uplift the surroundings. My only concern is about parking.

“There is only a limited amount of parking made available by the council, taking into account that Coral will be employing five people, and the customers who will also need to park from 7am to 10pm.”

Comments (6)

So let's get this straight, Labour in Oxford is against gambling on horses and sport, but quite happy to encourage people to gamble on their homes through loan sharks, banks and estate agents, where people can not only lose the race, bit also their family home and get into massive debt. As for too many betting shops in Rose Hill, what about Cowley Centre where Barns Road is now full of bookies and massage parlours,and seems the property Landlords only care about getting empty retail units filled with anyone willing to pay commercial rent on the space, with a social responsibility only to themselves and their profit margins. For all that, can it be honestly said (as we fast-approach City Council elections in May) that City Council has any greater social conscience as to who it rents property to, at a time when many across Oxford allegedly only see the Council as being overly business minded, cavalier and money-grabbing, with rents about to rise yet again as from April from around 5% to apparently up to 15% in real terms - presumably to continue supporting the minority of people in Oxford who even bother to vote - perhapdls the real irony for Cllr Turner, since I'm told that of all people who have the right to vote in Oxford, around 70% either don't vote for Labour, or don't vote at all. So even if Labour maintains overall control of City Council in May, it isn't exactly the earth-shattering majority picture which Labour always likes to paint. Unless betting shops actually break the Law, then City Council has little with which to enforce which type of shops can and cannot open under free market competition. Anyone seen whether work has started to build on City Council's bulldozed former Cowley Community Centre - must be three years since Labour knocked it down!

So let's get this straight, Labour in Oxford is against gambling on horses and sport, but quite happy to encourage people to gamble on their homes through loan sharks, banks and estate agents, where people can not only lose the race, bit also their family home and get into massive debt. As for too many betting shops in Rose Hill, what about Cowley Centre where Barns Road is now full of bookies and massage parlours,and seems the property Landlords only care about getting empty retail units filled with anyone willing to pay commercial rent on the space, with a social responsibility only to themselves and their profit margins. For all that, can it be honestly said (as we fast-approach City Council elections in May) that City Council has any greater social conscience as to who it rents property to, at a time when many across Oxford allegedly only see the Council as being overly business minded, cavalier and money-grabbing, with rents about to rise yet again as from April from around 5% to apparently up to 15% in real terms - presumably to continue supporting the minority of people in Oxford who even bother to vote - perhapdls the real irony for Cllr Turner, since I'm told that of all people who have the right to vote in Oxford, around 70% either don't vote for Labour, or don't vote at all. So even if Labour maintains overall control of City Council in May, it isn't exactly the earth-shattering majority picture which Labour always likes to paint. Unless betting shops actually break the Law, then City Council has little with which to enforce which type of shops can and cannot open under free market competition. Anyone seen whether work has started to build on City Council's bulldozed former Cowley Community Centre - must be three years since Labour knocked it down!Myron Blatz

Yes to that Joke Man. But only if it will be reasonably priced seeing as Rose Hill is one of our fair city's more deprived areas. £100 for an hours massage will take more money than a bookies would off of the punters.

[quote][p][bold]King Joke[/bold] wrote:
Massage parlours Myron?[/p][/quote]Yes to that Joke Man. But only if it will be reasonably priced seeing as Rose Hill is one of our fair city's more deprived areas. £100 for an hours massage will take more money than a bookies would off of the punters.The New Private Eye

Retail is dying - soon, the only thing you will see are things you can't get online - hairdressers, funeral services, restaurants and cafes. Face it - you didn't use your local shop, as Tesco etc moved in, and now they're all gone you're moaning about bookies?

If you don't like bookies, don't use them. No one is forcing you to!

Well, what other shops do you want?
Retail is dying - soon, the only thing you will see are things you can't get online - hairdressers, funeral services, restaurants and cafes. Face it - you didn't use your local shop, as Tesco etc moved in, and now they're all gone you're moaning about bookies?
If you don't like bookies, don't use them. No one is forcing you to!EMBOX2

Yes to that Joke Man. But only if it will be reasonably priced seeing as Rose Hill is one of our fair city's more deprived areas. £100 for an hours massage will take more money than a bookies would off of the punters.

You lead a more colourful life than I!

[quote][p][bold]The New Private Eye[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]King Joke[/bold] wrote:
Massage parlours Myron?[/p][/quote]Yes to that Joke Man. But only if it will be reasonably priced seeing as Rose Hill is one of our fair city's more deprived areas. £100 for an hours massage will take more money than a bookies would off of the punters.[/p][/quote]You lead a more colourful life than I!King Joke